Lithium-polymer batteries have tendencies to overheat, short circuit and explode. The next generation of batteries hope to bypass these issues while dramatically increasing storage capacity and charging rates

If it seems like there’s a new battery technology in the news every week or so lately, that’s because a ton of research money that’s been spent over the past five or ten years is starting to bear fruit. A huge part of our future is electric; that much is clear, and there’s room for a bunch of different technologies to move things forward from the status quo, each with its own strengths. read more

As expected, OnePlus has unveiled the OnePlus 7T at a special media event, a solid upgrade over the OnePlus 7 phone it launched back in May. For those who don’t want to spend big on the OnePlus 7 Pro, the mid-range option is now even more compelling. read more

Samsung’s Galaxy Fold smartphone is available in Korea first, ahead of a global rollout over the coming weeks

Back in July, Samsung announced that its troubled Galaxy Fold smartphone would go on sale in September, and has now confirmed that the refreshed and revised folding phone will launch in Korea on September 6. Visitors to IFA 2019 in Berlin, Germany, can experience the phone for themselves, but for those who can’t make it to the Messe this weekend, Samsung has released a hands-on video. read more

Just a few days after updating its flagship line of Wear OS smartwatches, Fossil has unveiled a new wearable from its more affordable Misfit line as well: the Vapor X. Its key selling points, besides that less expensive price, are improved battery life and a lightweight, stylish design. read more

Sony has squeezed the latest QN1e noise canceling processor into its WF-1000XM3 true wireless earphones for blocking ambient sounds across almost all frequencies(Credit: Sony)

Since the first true wireless earphones launched in 2014, many more have appeared in the marketplace – including models by big players like Appleand recent additions from Phiaton and Cambridge Audio. But most only offer passive isolation from the world around you. Sony’s upcoming WF-1000XM3 earphones rock the company’s excellent active noise cancellation tech so that you can focus on the music. read more

Micro-crystals of zinc, which when combined with other common minerals, could be substituted in for rare-Earth metals in electronic devices(Credit: prill/Depositphotos)

Electronic devices are made possible thanks to a group of elements often referred to as rare-Earth metals, but as the name suggests, these may be in limited supply and are relatively expensive. Now, a team of scientists has found a way to combine much more common elements into electronically-useful compounds, which could find their way into tunable lighting and solar panels. read more

The Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL arrive with slightly different screen sizes but matching internal components(Credit: David Nield/New Atlas)

Three Pixels down the line, Google is doing something different: two mid-range Pixel phones, offering slightly less quality and power for significantly less money. Are the Pixel 3a and the Pixel 3a XL the phones you should be buying in 2019? We’ve spent a few weeks with the handsets to find out. read more

The Novus is billed as the “world’s first modular smartphone for kids”(Credit: Abardeen)

Smartphones and smartwatches for kids aren’t exactly new – even FitBit has a kids’ watch these days – but China-based Abardeen has done things a little differently. The company has taken a modular approach with its latest offering – launched this week on Kickstarter – in an effort to inject some extra flexibility to the kids phone/watch equation.

Designed to transform between smartphone, smartwatch and voice-enabled home assistant, the Novus system is made up of four components (one of which is optional). The first is the Novus Core, an Android-powered, 4G-enabled, Apple-Watch-looking module, housing the screen and all the phone/watch related technology. As the name suggests, this is the core of the setup – the brains of the operation if you will. The Novus Core is either inserted into the Watch Module (handy for kids prone to losing things like phones) or clicked into the Phone Module enclosure (which also adds two extra days of battery life). The Phone Module uses a touch-wheel – similar to classic iPods – to control the Novus and scroll through the onscreen menus.

At home, the Novus Core + Phone Module can be slotted into the optional Home Module, which not only charges the Novus Core and Phone Module batteries, but transforms the ensemble into what Abardeen calls an “AI Speaker.” This is more than a charging station with a speaker. It’s a Google Assistant-enabled smart-speaker, a stand-alone alarm clock and a clever nightlight that turns on when it detects movement via its infrared sensor.

New Atlas compares the specs and features of the Google Pixel 3, 3 XL, 3a and 3a XL

Google’s Pixel phones have traditionally been high-end devices, but for the first time the company has launched a pair of mid-range phones – the Pixel 3a and 3a XL. These strip out a few premium features of the current flagships, the Pixel 3 and 3 XL, in favor of an easier-to-swallow price tag. But just what do you get and what do you lose? Here, New Atlas compares the specs and features of the Pixel 3 and 3 XL with the Pixel 3a and 3a XL. read more

Motorola is aiming for the budget end of the Android market again with the Moto G7 series(Credit: Motorola)

Motorola has carved out its own niche in the Android phone market – decent specs for very decent prices – and it’s back in that same groove for 2019 with the Moto G7 line-up. Four phones make up the range: the G7, the G7 Play, the G7 Plus, and the G7 Power. read more